Hamas minister in Germany in talks with MPs
A cabinet minister of the Hamas-led Palestinian government is currently in Germany for talks with German legislators aimed at easing financial sanctions against the Palestinian people, news reports said today.
The German Foreign Ministry confirmed to the daily Die Welt that Palestinian Minister for Refugees Atef Adwan has traveled to Germany on a Swedish visa.
Berlin has been boycotting the democratically elected Hamas government following intense Israeli arms-twisting.
"The German Foreign Ministry rejects any contact with members of the Hamas government," a foreign ministry spokesperson told the Die Welt newspaper.
Meanwhile, Der Spiegel reported said Adwan was due to meet with unidentified German lawmakers to try to reach a partial lifting of the financial sanctions.
The European Union has halted financial aid to Hamas after its election win in January in order to pressure the group to recognize the occupying Israeli regime, which the Islamic Palestinian resistance group refuses.
